(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a luminous umbrella, and more particularly, to one that a light emission object, a connector and a light permeable rod are provided to each rib for the outer section of each rib to become luminous.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
A conventional umbrella is essentially comprised of a handle, a shank, multiple spreaders, multiple ribs and a canopy. The handle is connected to one end of the shank, and another end of the shank is connected to one end of each of the ribs. The shank is inserted by the spreaders, and another end of each spreader is pivoted to the respective rib. The canopy is fixed onto the ribs. The ribs are stretched out or closed in by pushing the spreaders to slide along the shank. A luminous umbrella of the prior is further provided with a power source and a switch in the handle and the power source is connected to electric wire through the switch generally available in any of the following configurations:                1. The handle is provided with a light emission object to become a flashlight.        2. An electric wire is put inside the shank and a single light emission object is provided at the top of the shank and exposed out of the canopy.        3. An electric wire is put inside the shank and the ribs, and a light emission object is connected to the tip of each rib.        
However,                1. The handle functions to its best as a flashlight. In a rainy night, the light emitted from the flashlight reaches only the area right under the handle, instead of the area ahead of the user, making the luminous handle useless at all. Furthermore, the light from the flashlight relates to a single beam pointing only to one direction (usually in conic coverage), and the range covered is very short (not longer than three meters); therefore, it gives a very poor alerting effect to a driver at a farther distance or approaching from either side of the pedestal holding the umbrella.        2. The purpose of having provided at the top of the shank is to alert approaching drivers, not for lighting or decoration purpose; however, the single point light emission fails to mark the range of the pedestrian holding the umbrella; and this configuration lacks in safety since any careless driver could approach too close to the pedestrian.        3. The purpose of having provided a light emission object on the tip of each rib is for alerting or for decoration, again, the single point light has a weak coverage and gives its alerting effect only the approaching vehicle gets closer to the pedestrian while the decoration effect is also not so prominent.        
Therefore, either for lighting, alerting or decoration, the prior art of a luminous umbrella fails any, or even all of its expected results.